Pink Sued for $36,000 Over Album Royalties

The pop rocker is on the receiving end of a lawsuit filed by two former producers who allege she failed to pay them royalties from her debut album, 2000's Can't Take Me Home.

The complaint, which was filed under seal in New York last month and first reported on by TMZ, accused the 33-year-old Pink (real name Alecia Beth Moore) of reneging on a promise to pony up 50 percent producer royalty payments to Specialists Entertainment and Thunderstone Productions.

The plaintiffs allege they're still owed upwards of $36,000 for producing two of the singer's songs, "Hiccup" and "Can't Take Me Home" off the record, which was put out by urban label LaFace and Arista Records, both now owned by Sony Music Entertainment.

A rep for Pink said that Sony, and not the performer, is the one legally responsible for dishing out the royalty checks.

On that note, E! News obtained a copy of a letter the music giant sent Thunderstone head Stephen Clarke back in September. In it, Damon Ellis, Sony's director of business affairs administration, claimed the label paid Thunderstone $36,371 as of April 2004; however due to a clerical error in which it applied the company's new address to Specialists, it accidentally sent Thunderstone the other producer's share of the royalties, thus overpaying him $41,088 that should have gone to Specialists.

The letter goes on to add that as a result, Sony was withholding further payments to Clarke to give his share to Specialists' honcho Harold Frasier "until the full overpayment to you has been recovered."

Ellis was quick to note though that the producers' shared royalty stream had "diminished significantly over the years and it is highly unlikely that this action will generate recovery of the entire amount."

Pink's reps are not commenting at this time.

Lawyers for Thunderstone and Specialists were unavailable for comment.